Wrecking Yard to Resurrection

The seductive NSX — with its midmounted V6 engine, all-aluminum monocoque chassis and combination of Ferrari looks and Honda reliability — was the "affordable supercar" when it hit the street in 1990. It was discontinued in 2005, but for years the rumor mill swirled with back-channel chatter that it would return. Those rumors came to a head when Acura showed the NSX Concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January and announced a 2015 production date. The new version is a hybrid featuring the familiar midmounted rear-wheel-drive V6 engine, with a pair of electric motors powering the front wheels and a total power output of 400 horses.

Watch Video:  Acura NSX Concept

The original Turbo Regal was produced from 1984 to 1987. It was a large, rear-wheel-drive coupe motivated by an optional turbocharged 3.8-liter 235-horsepower V6 engine. The iconic top-of-the-line Grand National, an all-black model with a unique interior, is the most famous of the original Turbo Regals. After 1987, the Regal went front-wheel drive and started its evolution toward the fuel-efficient, luxury-appointed ride we see today. The 2012 Buick Regal Base trim has a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with 182 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque. The Turbo trim increases that to a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 220 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. You get as standard a 6-speed automatic transmission on both the Base and Turbo, or you can choose the optional 6-speed manual.

See: New Sedans That Get More Than 30 MPG

Faltering sales, high gas prices and a dated design put Chevy's round-nosed pony car out to pasture in 2002. Thanks to the popularity of a seductive 2006 concept car and a starring role as Bumblebee in the "Transformers" movie series, the legendary Camaro returned to the streets with a vengeance as a 2010 model. We love the sweet SS version, which sports a 426-horsepower LS3 V8 engine in front of a 6-speed manual transmission, but true zealots can opt for the new-for-2012 ZL1 model with a supercharged LSA V8 that pumps out a whopping 580 horses.

Watch Video:  2012 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

This is the third trip on the merry-go-round for the Challenger. Its first round was in 1970 as a hard-core muscle car with outlandish Hemi power and an even more outlandish color palette that included delights such as Plum Crazy (purple), Sublime (green) and Go Mango (orange), and lasted for four years. The name was revived in 1978. But it was a fiasco; the Challenger was a rebadged as a Mitsubishi econobox and sold alongside the Plymouth Sapporo until 1983. As they say, the third time's a charm: The new Challenger is a modern interpretation of the 1970 classic, with a retro body and the return of Hemi power.

View Slideshow:  Best Bang for the Buck: Horsepower

The Dodge Dart is one of the more surprising resurrections on this list. The Dart was first produced from 1960 to 1976. Gen 1 (1960 and 1961) models were luxury barges with finned rear fenders. In 1962, it morphed into a midsized commuter car. It finally found a market as a compact in 1963. Dodge is resurrecting the Dart for the 2013 model year. Based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform, the compact-class Dart will be offered with three engine choices: a turbocharged 1.4-liter 160-horsepower 4-cylinder from the Fiat 500 Abarth, and 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter naturally aspirated fours. The sedan-only Dart features a standard 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, a first for Chrysler.

View Pictures:  Dodge Dart

Talk about shouldering a burden. The success or failure of the entire Fiat brand quite possibly could rest on the shoulders of the diminutive Fiat 500. Fiat dropped out of the American market in disgrace in 1984 because of quality and reliability issues; its cars spent more time in the repair shop than on the road. The all-new 500, the European Car of the Year in 2008, delivers a Euro-chic driving experience in the highly competitive entry-level segment of the market. The 500 has a base price of $15,500, and Fiat recently introduced the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth, which features a turbocharged 160-horsepower engine, sport suspension and added features for $22,700.

Compare: Fiat 500 vs. Ford Fiesta vs. Scion iQ

The Ford Fiesta is a subcompact mileage champ that is bigger than the 500 but smaller than its sibling, the Ford Focus. Original Fiestas were miserly minded, European-manufactured hatchbacks that debuted in America in 1978 but quickly exited in 1980 in favor of the Escort, built in the United States. The Fiesta has remained in constant production overseas, however, even nabbing second place in European Car of the Year voting in 2009. When the nameplate returned to these shores last year, it was greeted with open arms for its sporty styling and frugal engine. A new sport version, the ST, featuring a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine, suspension tuning and more, is slated for arrival later in 2012.

Read:  10 Great Cars for Less Than $20,000

The Ford Taurus hit the highway as a 1986 model, and from 1992 to 1996 it was the best-selling car in America. Before the model was dropped in 2007, more than 7.5 million were sold in the U.S. The Taurus SHO, a high-performance model motivated by a Yamaha-designed V6 engine, was a cult classic. The Taurus returned to the showroom as a well-appointed 2010 midsize model, replacing the poorly positioned and named Ford Five Hundred. The Blue Oval reworked the vehicle a bit and then rebadged it the Taurus, hoping to recapture its former sales glory. The SHO is back too, taking advantage of Ford's seductive EcoBoost V6 engine.

View Slideshow:  Full-Size Fuel Sippers

The Honda CR-Z is a retro design of Honda's CR-X, a 2-seat fastback/hatchback produced between 1984 and 1991. The nimble CR-X was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year in 1984 and was a popular tuning platform for performance enthusiasts. The CR-Z, with its thrifty hybrid powertrain, seems most inspired by the CR-X HF model, which generated impressive fuel efficiency, posting 41 mpg city/49 mpg highway in 1989. This bests the CR-Z's 35/39 mpg numbers.

See: New Hybrid Vehicles

The FR-S was dubbed the FT-86 during development in reverence to the rear-drive Corolla AE86, which was a founding father of the popular drift scene. The FR-S more properly represents a return to the mindset that created the sporty 1984 to 1986 Corolla GTS, with its zippy fuel-injected engine and rear-wheel drive. The FR-S is a joint project with Subaru and features a sleek Toyota/Scion body and a Subaru boxer engine driving the rear wheels. Toyota recently announced that Toyota Racing Development will offer dealer-sourced accessories and power parts for the eagerly awaited 200-horsepower coupe version.

Bing Images: Scion FR-S

For more information on any vehicle in this slideshow, click the links below:

- Buick Turbo Regal
- Dodge Challenger
- Chevrolet Camaro
- Fiat 500
- Ford Fiesta
- Ford Taurus
- Honda CR-Z

Compare: 7 of the cars

Evan Griffey served as an editor of Turbo & High Tech Performance, a pioneering publication about sport-compact tuning. Today Griffey freelances for Import Tuner, Sport Compact Car, Car Audio and Siphon.

Like us on MSN Autos Facebook and follow us on Twitter

Find new and used cars with our mobile app.

• Visit MSN Autos' "Exhaust Notes" blog to keep up on all things automotive.
• In the market for a new car? MSN Autos is pleased to provide you with information and services designed to save you time, money and hassle. Click to research prices and specifications on any new car on the market or get a free price quote through MSN Autos' New-Car Buying Service.